PLANET US - ANOTHER SUPERGROUP WHICH SUNK WITHOUT A TRACE

"Supergroups" have always had a tendency of not lasting long - proberly because they usually contain at least two big name stand alone artists, if not three or more, and there is a much greater possibility of egos clashing to the point of destroying a band from within. Some degree of tension and artistic diffrences between band members can be artistically fruitful - but only it's kept in check.

Besides egos and artistic differences, another common killer of supergroups has been the lure offered by other bands and artists for a supergroup member to "jump ship" once they have "proved themselves" as being something special while a member of one.

A classic example of that was DEF LEPPARD's VIVIAN CAMPBELL, who spectacularly quit at short notice the epic one album supergroup SHADOW KING in late 1991 to join DF, leaving the other three band members, which included ex-FOREIGNER vocalist LOU GRAMM, high and dry, and without their star guitarist.

In the case of PLANET US,  the reasons for its demise, before even an album had a chance to materialize, remains very much enshrouded in rumour, gossip and innuendo, and denials of a rift between two of the big name band leaders.

The band had a star studded line-up which included American hard rock veteran, the "Red Rocker" SAMMY HAGAR, along with JOURNEY's stoic and virtuoso wannabe guitarist NEAL SCHON, "plus" MICHAEL ANTHONY on bass, DEEN CASTRONOVO on drums, and what the heck - JOE SATRIANI thrown in for good measure to play some guitar, PLANET US was a supergroup dream ticket in the making, which never eventuated. The band only played a few live shows together.

Hagar and Schon had colloborated together once before in a supergroup, in another ill fated one which didn't even produce a studio album. Only a quite appalling mini-live album, with a quite respectable studio recorded cover of PROCOL HARUM's definitive prog tune WHITER SHADE OF PALE thrown in. 

That supergroup was called HSAS, after a much hyped up US tour during 1984, Hagar wisely decided to bale out. Within the year, he had replaced DAVID LEE ROTH in VAN HALEN. I have included a live performance of Whiter Shade of Pale by HSAS in the absence of any recording by PLANET US.